Comic’s Appeal to Jewish Voters for Obama Is Careful

Here's a video by comic Sarah Silverman urging Jews to fly to Florida to push their grandparents to vote for Obama. "The great schlep," it's called. A few comments: Silverman is supposedly out there, says anything she likes, so of course there's sexual shtik here, but the video is actually very parochial and circumspect, and says that there's a difference between "liberal" Jews and the "whole large group" in Florida who are by implication a little racist and rightwing on Israel. In fact, the first issue Silverman actually touches on is Israel, saying Obama is "much better for Israel." That's all. So let's not say anything about human rights in the occupied territories, a good Jewish issue, or the Iraq war… The feel-good part of the video is when Silverman sits on her couch with a black man and a Jewish grandmother and explains that deep down there's no difference between the two. Good. Next time, what about an Arab? Forget about it. Says Jack Ross, who sent this along: "The reason Obama may yet still get 60% of the Jewish vote and
at least one reason why Florida is so close now is because the Jews
like Biden and are scared by Palin."